Co-operation: Mongolia

L* J* G*

I hope some of you can help this person.

>X-Originating-IP: [202.179.0.37]
>From: "maidar tsend" <maidart@hotmail.com>
>To: libby@igc.apc.org
>Subject: Co-operation: Mongolia
>Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 06:05:52 PDT
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by igc7.igc.org id
>GAA29573
>
>To:  Ms. LIBBY J.GOLDSTEIN,
>       President,
>       Food and Agriculture Task Force,
>       Philadelphia
>
>       libby@igc.apc.org
>
>Dear Mr. Libby J.Goldstein,
>
>It gives me great pleasure to write to you from a far away  country of
>Mongolia upon getting familiarized myself about the Philadelphia's Community
>Garden Program through the Internet.  After having read about the wide range
>of services dedicated to helping urban gardeners, I wish to express my
>organization's interest in learning about your activities.
>
>May I briefly introduce, the Mongolian Horticultural Society (previously
>named as the Poverty Alleviation Study Center) is a non-governmental
>organization established in 1992 with the purpose of improving the living
>standards of jobless families, pensioners, female-headed large families,
>disabled and other vulnerable groups of population. Based on our program
>elaborated by  the decision of the National Development Board, the Prime
>Minister's Office, 1993  was proclaimed as a FOOD YEAR in Mongolia.
>
>In 1994-1996 the Save Children's Fund (UK) and the AusAID (Australia)
>supported the MHS in establishing the Extension Center at the Metropolitan
>Central Library. Since 1994 the Society has organized 9 educational
>exhibitions (every spring and autumn) with free-of-charge question and
>answer sessions on soil preparation, weeds/ pest control, preservation of
>vegetables and berries, processing and other technologies that are needed
>for the beginning farmers. Also the sale of seeds, small-packed fertilisers,
>garden hand tools, greenhouse plastic materials were organized. The above
>activities have contributed to the raising of interest  among the urban poor
>in the cultivation of vegetables/ berries which evidenced by the fact that
>the number of families which grow edible plants increased by almost 30 times
>in the last 7 years.
>
>In spring 1997 the MHS, in co-operation with the National Agriculture
>University, implemented the FAO Sub-Regional (North-East Asia) Project on
>Agricultural Co-operation and Support by establishing 17 Training Points in
>the outskirts of the capital city and in two provincial centers.
>
>The MHS, having summed up the experience gained in improving the livelihood
>of the most vulnerable people, worked out in the summer of 1997 the "GREEN
>REVOLUTION" National Program and introduced it to the Ministry of
>Agriculture and Industry. In September, the Ministry submitted the Program
>to the Government session and it was approved to become the Government
>Action Program.
>
>The Society also elaborated the Capital City "Green Revolution" Program
>which was adopted at the City Assembly in December 1997 and the MHS was
>chosen as the Project Co-ordination Office for the home gardening  and
>community development tasks within/ around Ulaanbaatar.
>
>We receive American seeds from the World Concern (Seattle) via the Joint
>Christian Service (JCS)  Field Office in Ulaanbaatar. 40 barrels were
>donated in 1998 and 150  in 1999.  These seeds (approx. 170 varieties of 40
>types of vegetables, spicy plants and flowers) were distributed to 15,000
>most needed people and over 90 organizations. Another 100 barrels, as we
>were informed, have been shipped from Seattle for the spring activities in
>the year  2000.
>
>In 1998, our consultants worked as Project Managers of ADRA (Adventist
>Development Relief Agency) and WV (World Vision) "Community Garden" Projects
>which involved 400 families in vegetable production training. 200 and 100
>sq.meters of land respectively were provided to every family in these two
>gardens.
>
>Within the framework of activities aimed at developing home gardening in
>Ulaanbaatar, we are planning to establish the Central Agro-Park, a kind of
>Demonstration Garden/ Business Incubator for promoting family-based
>micro-industries, in the garden area of the Ecological Training Center,
>located right in the downtown. We have 1 ha of land, and the straw-bale
>house for the exhibition and training classes is to be built by the UNDP
>project.
>
>Branch Agro-Parks could be created further in every provincial center and
>settlements, thus making it possible to disseminate knowledge and services
>via the network of  over 400 incubators throughout the country.
>
>Now we are planning our next year activities to be started from March 2000.
>In this connection, we would like to learn from the American experience in
>(a) working out programs/ projects on urban agriculture, food storing and
>processing, (b) creating community gardens around the city, (c) establishing
>and running business incubators, (d) training of trainers and extension
>experts, etc.
>
>MHS is a member organization of  Mongolia-USA Society, an umbrella
>institution that is promoting activities aimed at developing and
>strengthening relations between the two countries.
>
>Also I am in charge of the Foreign Relations Manager of the Cold-Agro
>Institute, the Mongolian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. To briefly
>introduce, the following are the research conducted by the scientists in the
>crop production area and agricultural economics.
>
>Crop Production:
>… Development of soil protection technology
>… Improvement of soil fertility
>… Crop breeding and seed technology, development of new varieties
>… Plant genetic resources for food security (genebank)
>… Improvement of vegetable production technology
>… Horticulture development
>… Technology of virus-free potato production
>… Development of nitrogen bacterium strains
>… Plant protection methods and weeds control technologies
>… Biotechnological methods for seedlings production
>
>Agricultural Economics:
>… Crop production management
>… Analysis of farmers productivity
>… Improvement of veterinary services economic results
>… Regional (by geographical zones) development of agriculture
>
>I am planning to visit the USA  from the end of August to October this year
>on a study tour. It would be very much interesting for me to learn about
>your activities. I would appreciate it if you could inform me whether your
>organization would be in a position to receive  me during my  stay in the
>USA.  I do believe that the meeting would be much  fruitful for the
>development of urban gardening and  cottage businesses in nomadic Mongolia.
>
>Thank you for your co-operation.
>
>Yours sincerely,
>
>Ts.Maidar,
>Director of MHS,
>Head of  the Ulaanbaatar City "Green Revolution" Project Co-ordination
>Office,
>Foreign Relations Manager of the Cold-Agro Institute, the Mongolian Academy
>of Agricultural Sciences
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________
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>

libby@igc.apc.org       Libby J. Goldstein       phone & fax: 215-465-8878
            Philadelphia      USDA zone 7A       Sunset zone 32

        My garden must be n-dimensional if it's out here in cyberspace.

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